Analysis: Politics

In this interview with private newspaper El Universal, National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello discusses the state of chavismo, confesses that he doesn’t believe in political neutrality and assures that he’s never had rift with President Nicolas Maduro.

Greg Grandin examines the US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power’s, futile attempts to block Venezuela’s recent appointment to the UN Security Council, and anticipates the effect that a Chile-Venezuela Council alliance may have on US foreign policymaking.

With 181 out of 193 of the United Nations representatives voting yes on Thursday, October 16, the Venezuelan government has gained not only a seat on the U.N. Security Council, but an affirmation of a leadership role in the Americas.

Suren reviews the inflammatory Sep 5th opinion piece by Harvard economist Ricardo Hausmann, titled Should Venezuela Default? The article caused interest rates on Venezuelan bonds to temporarily soar as investors balked at Hausmann’s calculated commentary regarding the nation he once served as planning minister, during Venezuela's era of neoliberal reign known as the 4th Republic.

Just blocks away from the Presidential Palace, stands Llaguno bridge, the site of a massacre during the April 2002 coup briefly removing Hugo Chavez from Venezuelan office. Today, the bridge was filled with family members of the victims who were demanding answers and justice following the release of former Police chief Iván Simonovis.

Opposition-leaning Venezuelan newspaper El Universal interviewed Ali Rodriguez Araque recently, the current president of UNASUR, a top minister in the Chavez administration, and the next Venezuelan ambassador to Cuba. Rodriguez shares his thoughts on economic issues and the key future tasks of the Bolivarian project.

The administration of President Nicolas Maduro faces a set of adverse conditions which have the potential to turn a majority of the country’s citizens against the incumbent government at the next election. In this context, there is perhaps more riding on economic and state reforms currently being designed than first meets the eye.

Roland Denis, a critical writer and participant in the Bolivarian process, and planning minister 2002 – 2003, gives his opinion on the public letter written by recently dismissed government minister Jorge Giordani. He argues that Giordani’s criticisms of Nicolas Maduro’s leadership do not touch upon what Denis sees as the greater problems and challenges for the Bolivarian project. Translation by VA.com.

On June 7, President Maduro issued a call to each grassroots unit of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to submit 10 concrete proposals for ways to improve how the Bolivarian government functions. In response, throughout Venezuela, local units of PSUV militants, known as Battle Units Bolivar-Chavez (UBCh), devoted their weekly meetings to lively debates analyzing political problems and attempting to reach consensus on solutions.

Venezuela’s colectivos are a myth created by the country’s elites to discredit the struggle for socialism and grassroots democracy.

By Committee for the Abolition of Third World Debt / Gonzalo Gomez, May 3rd 2014

Gonzalo Gomez, a founder of alternative Venezuelan news website Aporrea.org, and a member of Socialist Tide, a critical left current within the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, gives his view on the current political moment and possible future trajectories for the Bolivarian revolution.

Dan compares his experience in Venezuela to those recounted in Mike Gonzalez's "A Second Letter from Caracas," highlighting what current opposition protestors’ motives seem to be, as well as the chavista response to them.